Do Rug Pads Damage Hardwood Floors?

You might not be very happy to hear this, but rug pads can damage your hardwood flooring. The quality of your rug pad is very important. It can either make or break your hardwood flooring. People buy rug pads to get comfort and create a solid foundation for their carpets or rugs. On top of everything, a rug pad should deliver protection to the hardwood flooring. When it comes to stripping and staining, the hardwood flooring are considered to be very vulnerable. Unfortunately, most of the rug pads that are available in the market are of bad quality. Such rug pads are inexpensive but can cause serious damage to the floor finishing. The imported plastic rug pads can cause floor damage, these rug pads are present everywhere in the market at an appealing cost. 

One of the biggest problems with imported plastic rubber pads is that they are coated with certain adhesives, especially for gripping, this can destroy your hardwood flooring. Such rug pads consist of a combination of toxic substances that can stain and off-gas the floors. They can even fill your home with toxins which are not good for your health.

A vast majority of plastic rug pads are imported from overseas manufacturers. Usually, these rug pads contain adhesives, oils, or chemicals that may adversely react with the chemicals that are present on the floor finishing. For example, phthalates are used in plastic rug pads. For your instance, phthalates are a class of chemicals that are used to toughen the plastic and prevent them from breaking. Although, phthalates are extremely toxic and are used as dissolving agents. You would not want to put a dissolving agent on your polyurethane finished hardwood flooring.

Another major issue with imported plastic rug pads is that they are created with adhesive coating. The adhesive coating is used to enhance the non-gripping nature of the rug pads. Unfortunately, such pads end up sticking to the hardwood floors instead of gripping them. Also, because of the adhesive coatings, these pads end up sticking to itself, this creates lumps under the rug in spite of functioning to keep the rugs in the proper place. 

We recommend our readers to go for a natural rubber, such rug pads never discolour or stain the hardwood flooring. Natural rubber is a type of VOC (low volatile organic compound). It is based upon an adhesive material that is specifically designed to grip the floors without even sticking to them. A high-quality rug pad can anchor your rug for so many years, they are free from odour. It does not stain or stick to the hardwood flooring. Investing in a high-quality rug pad is definitely going to benefit you in the long run.

Similarly, the combination of natural rubber and felt are also good for a longer period of usage. Such rug pads provide good cushioning support with nonslip traction. These rug pads are created by combining a thick layer of felt with a thinner natural rubber pad. Both of these materials are durable and long-lasting.